jeudi 22 décembre 2016

United States international Alex Morgan has signed half-season contract with Olympique Lyonnais of France, through the end of the European season 2016-2017. “Why I’m going to play in Lyon” by Alex Morgan

United
States international Alex Morgan has signed half-season contract with Olympique Lyonnais of
France, through
the end of the European season 2016-2017. “Why
I’m going to play in Lyon” by Alex Morgan

Asyou
may have heard by now, I’ve decided to head to France and join the
Olympique Lyonnais football club for the conclusion of their 2016–17 season.

This was not an easy
decision for me. But after a few weeks of deliberation, I finally made this
decision during a belated honeymoon that I recently took with my husband,
Servando, in Europe.

I will be leaving Servando and
my family (and our dog, Blue) behind, and I know from years of experience that
phone calls and FaceTime are not a fun way to stay connected. I also know that
our U.S. Women’s National Team is in a critical place at the moment, as we
fight for what’s fair in a new CBA, and that it will be more difficult for me
to help lead from abroad. I know, too, that The Pride and our incredible fans
will be opening a state-of-the-art new stadium without me, and that I will miss
the early part of the season. All of those things made it very difficult for me
to make this decision.

So why Lyon … and why now?

First, Lyon is a team
that’s world-renowned for excellence, with a roster that includes many of
the greatest players in the world. In fact, Lyon won all three possible titles
last season: Champions League, French League and the Coupe de France. They are
committed to growing women’s soccer and provide the women with first-class facilities
and an unparalleled training environment on par with the men’s team.

hey recently opened a new
stadium that holds 60,000 people, and the training facility is right next
door — perfect grass fields, covered fields for when it rains, beautiful
locker rooms, everything you need, really, to create an environment
for success. And, of course, again, the players on the team are among the best
footballers in the world. Everyone on OL plays for their respective
national teams, so the training there is just phenomenal. You have to
bring your best every day if you want to earn a starting spot.

As for the timing of my move,
I’ve agreed to play in France starting next month and to return home to Orlando
and play for the Pride after Lyon’s season ends in June. In addition,
I plan to be available for all U.S. National Team games.

My motivation
is pretty simple. I hope that this change will help push my game to
another level. I hope that training with these incredible athletes each day,
and learning a unique style of play, is exactly what I need, and that it will
help me find that next gear. Importantly, I will also be immersed in a
soccer culture that I believe is precisely what I need at this point in my
career. It has always been a dream of mine to “live” soccer and to compete
in the Champions League.

This move
will not be easy, though. Orlando has been so good to my family and me.
Servando and I have set down roots here. It’s our home. So I’ve struggled
with knowing that I’ll need to be gone for a bit, because of how much
I love my team, this city, the entire community.

It’s so
wonderful playing in a town that you feel connected to, and for a club that
really invests in its women’s side. I couldn’t ask for anything more, and
I’m committed to Orlando. Just as I’m committed 100% to the
National Team.

Those things
won’t change, but right now I need to follow my heart.

To get to
this level, you have to have a great deal of inner drive. And sometimes that
drive just takes over. When it does, you need to go with it, or risk losing the
very thing that helped to make you great.

I’m 27 years old.

I’m in my prime right now. But my
prime isn’t going to last forever.

I’m not looking to coast. Just going
through the motions isn’t something I’ll ever be comfortable with.

I have big goals.

I want to be the best player in
the United States … the best player in the world.

So, as much as I love living and
training and playing in Orlando, I’ve decided to take a huge risk and
bet on myself.

I want my fans to know how much I
love and appreciate them, and that this move, at the end of the day, means I’m
going to come back better than ever. It means I’m going to come back
knowing that I took a risk in life in order to become the very best soccer
player I can be.

So I just want to ask for your
continued support and encouragement. It truly means the world to me, and
it always helps motivate me to get better. I promise you, it’s
something that I will never take for granted.